The National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah is housed in a fort that was the residence of the ruling Al Qasimi family until the 1960s. Rooms around the courtyard show archaeological finds from sites across the emirate, some more than 5,000 years old, along with silver jewellery, weapons, pearl-diving tools and a wind tower that still cools the upper rooms.

Al Jazirat Al Hamra, south of Ras Al Khaimah city, is the best-preserved pearling village in the Gulf. It was once an island settlement of coral-stone houses, mosques, a souq and a fort, home to the Zaab tribe, and it was left almost entirely in 1968 when most of the community moved away. Because it was abandoned rather than rebuilt, the streets, wind towers and courtyard houses still stand as they were. Local stories about jinn have given it a haunted reputation, and it has been used as a film location. Restoration work is underway and parts are open to visitors; daytime is the practical time to walk it.

Dhayah Fort stands on a conical hill north of Ras Al Khaimah city, the only hilltop fort left in the UAE. Built of mud brick on older foundations, it looks out over date palm gardens on one side and the sea on the other. Its place in history comes from 1819, when the defenders made their last stand here against a British naval expedition and surrendered after days of bombardment, an event that led to the treaties giving the Trucial States their name. A stepped path of a few hundred metres climbs to the walls. Late afternoon is the time to go, when the light is soft and the climb is cooler.

Jebel Jais in Ras Al Khaimah is the highest mountain in the UAE, rising to about 1,934 metres in the Hajar range, where winter temperatures can drop close to freezing and snow has fallen on rare occasions. A modern road climbs to viewing decks and a mountain restaurant with views over layered limestone ridges and deep wadis. It is best known for the Jais Flight, the world's longest zipline at nearly 2.83 km, along with a via ferrata, sledder ride and hiking trails. The rock here is ancient seabed, folded upward over millions of years. Sunset is the busiest time, and the temperature at the top is several degrees cooler than the coast.

Wadi Shawka is a valley in the southern mountains of Ras Al Khaimah, about an hour from Dubai. A dam built to catch flood water forms a small lake after rain. From the car park, marked trails for walkers and mountain bikers climb rocky ridges and follow the wadi bed past pools. It is best visited in the cooler months.

Wadi Bih is a long canyon cutting through the Hajar Mountains from Ras Al Khaimah toward the Musandam Peninsula. A gravel track runs between cliffs hundreds of metres high, with old stone houses and terraced fields on the slopes. It is popular for off-road drives, hiking, climbing and winter camping. The border with Oman lies part way along.